Feancis j



(No Model.)

- F. J. RABBETH.

SIGHT FOR FIRE ARMS. No. 301,628. Patented Ju1y.;8,- 1884.

fiiy

N. PETERS. Phoxo-umn n hm. Wahingmn n. c.

UNrTED STATES ATENT. OFFICE.

FRANCIS J. RABBETH, OF BOSTON, MASS, ASSIGNOR TO THE WVINOHESTERREPEATING ARMS COMPANY, OF NEWV HAVEN, CONN.

SIGHT-F-OR FIRE-ARMS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 301,628, dated July 8,1884.

Application filed May .26, 1884. (No model.)

To aZZ whont it may concern-.-

Be it known that I, FRANCIS J. Rannn'rrr, of Boston, in the county ofSuffolk and State of Massachusetts, have invented a newlmprove ment inSights for Fire-Arms; and I do hereby declare the following, when takenin connection with the accompanying drawings and the letters ofreference marked thereon, to be a full, clear, and exact description ofthe IO same, and which said drawings constitute part of thisspecification, and represent, in

Figure 1, a perspective view; Fig. 2, a sectional view of the sight asattached to the barrel, the sight standing with the dark surface I 5 atthe rear; Fig. 3, the same as Fig. 2, except that the sight is turnedrearward to expose the curved or light surface; Fig. 4., atop view ofthe sight.

This invention relates to an improvement in the forward sight forfire-arms, and particularly to that class known as open sights. Thesesights are of two classes, one of which rises vertically and so as toexpose a vertical surface to the rear. Looking over the barrel at thissight, it presents a dark surface, be cause of no substantial reflectionof light. In the use of such a sight in dark surroundings or against adark object it is substantially invisible. In the other class the rearsurface of the sightis curved upward and forward. This sight reflectsthe light to such an extent as to present a Very light appearance, andtherefore against a dark object is visible and the most desirable sight,but against a light ob- 3 5 ject or in bright light the sight is not soreadily distinguished.

The object of my invention is to construct a sight which may beconvertible from a dark sight to light, orvice versa, and the inventionconsists in a sight hinged in a base upon a pivot, so as to be turnedthereon in a plane parallel with the axis of the barrel, one sidepresenting the curve upward and forward or light sight, the other thevertical or dark sight, and so that, as occasion may require, the sightmay be turned to either of the said two positions, as more fullyhereinafter described.

A is the base, which is constructed to enter the transverse groove inthe upper side of the barrel, in the usual manner of introducing theforward sight, and as seen in Fig. 2. In the upper side of this base isa slot, a, the plane of the slot being substantially parallel with theaxis of the barrel to which the sight is to be attached.

B is the sight, which is arranged intheslots a and hung upon a pivot,11. This sight is quadrant shape, as seen in Fig. 2, the pivot I) beingnear the angle. Standing in the position on the barrel seen in Fig. 2,the straight side a of the sight is at the rear, and therefore presentswhat may be called the dark sight, the straight or vertical surface 0producing no reflection which will light that side. The 6 5 sight turnedrearward upon its pivot will present the curved side (Z to the rear, asseen in Fig. 3. This curved side will reflect the light, and to such anextent as to produce a white or light sight, that surface being polishedfor the purpose, and thus the sight may be con verted from a darksightinFig. 2 to a light sight in Fig. 3, or vice versa, by simply turning thesight upon its pivot. The darkness of the straight side will bematerially improved 7 5 by making the edge concave, as seen in Fig. 4,and whereby reflection of light to the, eye of the person sighting thegun will be impossible. The back or curved side may berounded-that. is,made convex in transverse sectionas also seen in Fig. 4, and add to itsrefleeting capacity and increase its whiteness; but the two sides, ifmade plain, accomplish the desirable object of the invention. The

thickness of the sight should be substantially that of the slot a,within which it is hung, and so that the walls of the slot will producesufficient friction to retain the sight in either position to which itmay be turned.

The spring f maybe arranged inthe bottom 0 of the slot, to bear againstthe under edge of the sight, and serve to throw and hold it in either ofits extreme positions.

Instead of making the facecvertical, it may to advantage be undercut, asindicated in 5 broken lines, Fig. 2, the overhanging end increasing thedarkness of that rear exposed edge.

I claim-- 1. The herein described convertible sight I00 for fire-arms,consisting of the base A, constructed for attachm en t to the barrel ofthe arm,

the sight B, hung upon a pivot in said base,

and so as to be turned thereon forward and backward, the rear exposededge of the sight in one position showing a vertical or dark surface,the rear exposed edge, when turned to the other position, curved upwardand forward, substantially as described.

2. The combination of the base A, constructed for attachment to thebarrel of the arm, and with a slot, a, parallel with the axis of thebarrel, the sight B,hung upon a pivot in said slot, so as to turn to thefront or rear, as the case may be, the exposed rear surface, when turnedforward,substantially vertical, and the transverse section, and the rearexposed face,

when turned to the rearward,convex in transverse section, substantiallyas described.

FRANOIS J. RABBETH. Witnesses:

ROGER FosrER, GEo. PPSANGER, Jr.

